Lumbini Lions registered their first 33-run win against Chitwan Rhinos in their fifth match in the ongoing Nepal Premier League (NPL) encounter at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur on Tuesday.

Chasing a score of 168 runs Lumbini restricted Rhinos to 134 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs. Chitwan Rhinos faced the fall of the wickets early in the game with 6 runs with Bipin Rawal bowled out by Rohit Paudel.

The fall of second and third wicket for Rhinos came on at 2nd and 3rd over setting the score to 16-3. Rhino’s Benkenstein 31 off 29 runs and Bopara 12 off 16 made a partnership of 42 runs. Captain Kushal Malla made 20 [off 17 balls], Santosh Karki made 10 [off 8 balls], Amar Rautela 6 off 6 Rijan Dhakal made 16 off 14 not out and Nar Sarki in at the 16th over made 22 off 12 not out but could not chase the target of 168.

For Lions’ Rohit Paudel took 4 major wickets dismissing Bipin Rawal 5 off 9, Sohail Tanvir 1 off 2, Ravi Bopara 12 off 16 and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 6 off 7. Ramon Simmonds took two wickets while Saaz Zafar and Abhishesh Gautam took a single wicket each.

Earlier innings revolved around Paudel’s 81 runs and Zafar’s 52 runs that led to the big win for the Lumbini Lions. Rhinos Rijan Dhakal took 3 wickets giving off 29 runs. Kushal Malla and Ranjeet Kumar taking a wicket each.